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Updated 1/14/01
I feel the best way to feed an iguana is through variety. The more variety the better. That way vegetables and fruits that have really good calcium:phosphorus ratios balance out the vegetables and fruits that don't. 2 Calcium to 1 Phosphorus is the ratio to go for.
I store all the greens, triple washed and spun dried in a salad spinner, in the refrigerator, each in their own Slide Lock bag.
1) When I squeeze all the air out of the bags, it makes it easier to store
more in the refrigerator.2) It keeps the greens fresher longer.
3) It's easier to keep track of how much of each type of veggie the iguanas get. In addition to the 6 iguanas I feed daily, I have 2 spiny tail iguanas, Lestat and Lucien, 3 bearded dragons, Blake, Hedy and Matilda, and a prehensile-tailed skink, Loki, that also eat the salads. If you have a baby or young iguana, investing in a food processor would be a good idea. I have one that I use for preparing squash and parsnips for mine.
I try to get all or as many of these in their salads everyday...
Collards
Turnip Greens
Mustard Greens
Endive
Dandelion Greens (the flowers are great too as long as where you're getting them from haven't been treated with herbicides and/or pesticides- or lawn chemicals in general)
Then I use the following everyday in their salads, but in a very small amounts...
Kale
Red Swiss Chard
Bok Choy
These are miscellaneous veggies I use. I try to get as many as I can in their salad daily...
Green Beans*
Fresh Peas (Snow or Sugar Snap)*
Summer Squash+
Zucchini+
Parsnips+
Carrots+
Butternut Squash-
Pumpkin-
Other Assorted Squash-
Broccoli**shredded in the Cuisinart using the slicing blade
+I shred these on fresh as I am making the salad.
-I shred these in the food processor, enough to make 2-3 days worth and store in a Zip Lock bag in the refrigerator. If I make more than 2-3 days worth, it's not that fresh.
These are the fruits I use on top of their salad. I usually only choose one per day, sometimes more when in season and my spiny tail igs get more than the green igs...
Figs (They're particualrly good in the Cal:Phos ratio)
Raspberries
Blueberries
Mulberries (the leaves are good too)
Grapes
Banana
Apple
MelonThere are some others, but these are what I've used most of the time.
About once every other week or a month I add a little treat to their food...
Whole Grain Bread (I've heard that caution should be given the first time trying bread as some iguanas have had allergic reactions to wheat) . Cooked Pasta (I vary the size and shapes I buy as well as color).
I also use NutriBAC on their food. I put a very light dusting on their food. You could apply it with a salt shaker so you don't put too much on the food.
This is just what my iguanas eat, two very good diets that you can use are MK's Salad & The Iguana Den Diet.I personally am not comfortable supplementing my iguanas because I honestly don't think anyone knows what the correct amount would be or what should even be supplemented, which is another reason why I feel the varied diet is so important. I have never supplemented my iguanas (except for gravid females and ones suffering from MBD) and they have been doing very well (See their pages). I do however feel that growing iguanas, gravid females and those suffering from MBD benefit from calcium supplementation. Many use TUMS or some of the reptile related products on the market. I would stay away from those with added D3. Too much is toxic, and again, who really knows what is an acceptable amount.
Also, a note about lighting which is in a way diet related since it is responsible for their calcium absorption. D3 needs to be produced by the iguana through UV (natural sunlight being the best), therefore enabling them to absorb calcium. From what I've heard there isn't any proof that they absorb D3 through their gut (another reason to stay away from supplements with D3). And since no one knows the amount they need, it's best to let them produce their own via UVB (natural sunlight or artificial UVB lights) 8-).
Most recommend using Vitalite by Durotest or Iguana Light/Reptisun by Zoo Med (5.0 or 2.0). I personally am using Verilux UVB bulbs right now, and my iguanas have been doing well with those. I was using Verilux at the time I got Oobleck and she recovered from her MBD with their use (I did get her out for natural sunlight when the weather permitted). I will however be switching switch to the Iguana Lights by Zoo Med when it's time to change because they have a higher output of UVB (the 5.0). I'd love to get them UV permitting skylights or even windows, but I have heard that kind of glass is very expensive and haven't looked into it as of yet.
IMPORTANT NOTE: UVB bulbs need to be changed every six months. Even though they are still producing visible light, the UVB emitted diminishes over time. Also the UVB lights should be placed where the iguana spends most of it's time (hopefully it's basking area), and should be hung no farther than 18" above the iguana.
1/11/01- One word CUISINART!!! If you are looking to get a food processor, look into getting a Cuisinart. I have killed off two food processors prior to getting my Cuisinart. This one is just wonderful!!! I have the Cuisinart Little Pro Plus model which is really nice because it can be set up to cut or shred everything into the attached cup or have it shoot it out into a separate bowl. The lid has this feature I haven't seen on any other food processor (or even other models of Cuisinart) where there's a piece of plastic that holds the food you're shredding, over the blade, so you don't have these annoying pieces just floating around in there. Instead of two types of blades on one disk, they have two separate blades, so when shredding, let's say, butternut squash, you don't end up with big chunks of squash in with the shredded squash. I always hated having to sort through the squash to pick out the chunks that went though the slicing blade or inbetween the disk and the bowl. The blades are very sharp and the motor is quiet, yet very powerful, so most of the squash gets shredded and no big chunks get past. The model I got cost around $80, but I don't see ever needing to replace it anytime soon like I had to with the others. The quality is worth the price.
Also, I'm adding some info for those of you that have an iguana that is a picky eater or is eating bad foods (animal protein) Here's what I have successfully done with finicky eaters and getting iguanas off improper diets...
I would shred everything in the food processor. I'd shred the veggies using the shredding disk, shred the greens using the slicing disk and then chop that even finer with the bottom blade in the attached cup of the food processor. I then add babyfood (usually squash or apple-blueberry). This tends to make it kind of watery as far as the consistency, but adds some flavor that might spark interest in eating. And by mixing it altogether very finely in the food processor will make it almost impossible to pick out only their favorites. I would use NutriGrow commerical iguana diet, to firm up the mixture a bit and to entice them into eating. Most iguanas I know would not refuse NutriGrow. I'd slowly ween them off the mixture and get them to eat the finely chopped greens/veggies without the NutriGrow or babyfood. They should be eating the plain greens and veggies within a month at most. This works well to ween them off of any food item, such as dog or cat food, cooked chicken, etc. Use that instead of the NutriGrow and slowly work the problem food or foods out of their diet. You can also use this method to cut back on foods that are okay in smaller amounts, but not in large quantities, such as broccoli. My Igor loves broccoli, and by shredding up very small amounts in the food processor and by mixing it all up in this manner it will give him the taste of it in just about every bite.
*NOTE: I don't like using commerical diets because they were formulated after the iguana farms that breed their iguanas for food. Those farms are only interested in large animals in the shortest amount of time and not longevity. These commerical diets are often high in protein and low in fiber and could be a contributing factor in the early death of an iguana, often to kidney failure at around the ages of 5-8 years of age. 5-8 years of age is very young for an iguana considering they can live into the teens.
